Protective cap for a cylindrical tank

ABSTRACT

A protective cap having a split band which changes around the cylindrical portion of the tank, and a handle yoke which extends over the top of the tank protecting the valves and providing a handle. Channels are provided around the split band for protecting and storing the hose. A retaining member securably holds the cap in a secure position against a fixed wall.

United States Patent 1191 '1111 3,820,696 Gongolewski [4 June 28, 1974PROTECTIVE CAP FOR A CYLINDRICAL 1,650,527 11/1927 McKenney 224/42.38TANK 2,655,300 10/1953 Willms 224/45 P 3,240,407 3/1966 Boak 224/45 PInventor: Adolph Gongolewski, 136 Andrews Rd., Mineola, NY. 11501 Filed:Jan. 22, 1973 Appl. No.: 325,579

US. Cl 224/45 P, 248/224 Int. Cl. A45c 13/26 Field of Search 224/45 P,42.38, 36;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1922 Haynes 248/224 PrimaryExaminer-Robert J. Spar Assistant Examiner-Kenneth Noland Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Leonard H. King [57] ABSTRACT A protective cap having asplitband which changes around thecylindrical portion of the tank, and ahandle yoke which extends over the top of the tank protecting the valvesand providing a handle. Channels are provided around the split band forprotecting and storing the hose. A retaining member securably holds thecap in a secure position against a fixed wall.

A 2 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUHZB I974 SHEEI 1 OF 2 FIG. 6

FIG. 5

: mmmwm 1914 3820398 SHEET 2 0F 2 FIG. 9

FIG. 10

1 PROTECTIVE CAP FOR A C YLINDRICAL TANK The aforementioned Abstract isneither intended to define the invention of the application which, ofcourse, is measured by the claims,nor is it intended to be limiting asto the scope of the invention in any way.

This invention relates to a protective cap for a cylindrical tank andmore particularly to a device for use with portable pressure vesselswhich provides protection to the valve and facilitates handling andtransportation of the vessel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION High pressure cylinders or similarlyconstructed tanks for holding gases and liquids are commonly used fornumerous types of applications. Such tanks are usually in the form ofelongated cylinders having one flat end on which the cylinder normallyrests, the other end of which is usually rounded and is equipped withvalves to permit the contents of the cylinders to be drawn off. One ofthe most important considerations in the handling of such cylinders isthe protection of the valves and other fittings associated with thecylinders on the top portion thereof. Damage to these items frequentlybreaks or dislodges them thus, endangering nearby persons and property.Should the cylinders contain combustable gases, for example, a seriousfire and explo sion may occur, or a slow leak may develop allowing thegas to escape unnoticed. Such damage imposes considerable economicpenalties in addition to the cost of transporting and repairing thedamaged cylinders.

Because of the elongated cylindrical shape and since generally the tanksare exceedingly heavy itis difficult for workmen to handlethem andobtain a good grab on them when lifting or moving them. Therefore, whenmoving a tank of this type there is a natural tendency to grab a portionof the valves or fittings to manipulate the tanks. This handlingprocedure is both inefficient and dangerous, for it to may dislodge thevalves and fittings and cause them to be displaced thereby permittingthe contents of thecylinder to be leaked.

Furthermore, as the cost of the cylinders and their contents become moreexpensive, the tanks have been the subject of numerous robberies andburglaries. If a number of these tanks are stored in the open on jobsite constructions for example, when the workmen are not guarding thetanks they can be stolen from the premises.

While many types of protective devices and handles are presentlyavailable for such tanks, pressure vessels, and similar containers, noneof these provide all of the required needs for the common practical useof these containers. For example, one known device of the prior artcontains a rotatable handle which requires the user to roll the tankalong the ground while holding the rotating handle. Other known devicesfor manipulating the tanks used to be welded onto the tank itself andthereby do not provide readily detachable devices. Other known devicescompletely enclose the valve and fittings and therefore do not permitfree access to these connections when the protective device is in place.It is therefore required to remove the protective device each time thecontainer must be used. Furthermore,

while some of the known devices may provide protection for the valve,and other devices may provide transporting aids to workmen, the devicesof the prior art do type which avoids the aforesaid problems of priorart devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protective device foruse with portable pressure vessels.

Still a further object of.the invention is to provide a readilyattachable protective device for portable pressure vessels which alsofurnishes means for easily grasping of the cylinder during handling.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a cap for portablepressure vessels which protects the valve and fittings and yet permitsfree access to these connections during use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cap for a portablepressure vessel which protects the valves and fittings, serves as handlemeans to aid in the movement of the cylinders, and also providesretaining means for holding the cylinder in a secure position duringtransporting thereof.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide cap means for aportable pressure valve which includes storage means for the hoseassociated with the vessel and a torch for use in connection with thevessel.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a protective devicefor a portable pressure vessel which includes means to connect theprotective device to a fixed location to prevent movement and removal ofthe device during transportation and storage.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a cap for aportable pressure vessel which can be used both to protect the vesseland to manipulate the vessel and wherein the cap can be disassembledinto two easily stored flat members.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be readilyapparent from the examination of the drawings and the followingdescription of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the cylinder cap for theportable pressure vessel in accordance with the present inventionincludes a split band of steel or other strong material constructed toencircle the cylindrical tank and containing outwardly extending tabs atits ends which form clamp jaws which can be drawn together to clamp theband securely around the container. A handle yoke is rigidly joined tothe split band at diametrically opposed sides of the band, and thehandle extends upward to pass ing wall. In another embodiment of theinvention.

means are provided to securely chain the cap to a retaining member toprevent removal of the entire cylinder. The shape of the yoke handle canbe made to fit various types of valves and fittings. The yoke and thesplit band can be formed of independent members which are boltedtogether prior to attachment to the cylinder whereby the cap can bestored and transported separately as substantially two flat members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the various figures of the drawinglike reference characters designate like parts.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the cylinder cap of the present inventionfixed to one of a portable pressure vessel;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the cap;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the cap;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the two parts of the securing arrangementincluding the retaining means and the extension of the cap;

FIG. 5 is a partly sectioned, elevational view of the retaining means asattached to a retaining member;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the retaining means;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the cap and a holder secured to aretaining member for holding the pressure vessel in place;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the holder as taken along line '8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of another embodiment of the cap inaccordance with this invention; and

FIG. 10 is a top view of-the embodiment shown in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to FIGS. 1 through-3wherein like parts are similarly identified, there is seen theprotective cap shown generally at 10 secured to a cylindrical tank 12shown in phantom. The cap comprises a split band 14 of steel or otherstrong material which is constructed to encircle the cylindrical tank12. The two adjacent end members of the split band 14 extend outwardlyfrom the container forming tabs l6, 18. One of the tabs 18 is shownhaving its end 20 bent forming an L-shaped member. A clampingarrangement is provided for drawing the split band together and clampingit around the cylindrical body. As is shown, a bolt 22 and nut 24 areprovided for this purpose. The bolt passes through holes in the abuttingends of the tabs 16 and 18. The split band is held in place on thecontainer by the clamping action of the split band against the wall ofthe container when the ends of the band are drawn together by theclamping arrangement of the bolt and the nut. The split band should bemade of slightly larger than the cylinder to facilitate placing andremoving of the device from the cylinder.

A handle yoke 26 is secureably attached to the split band atdiametrically opposed points of the split band and extends verticallyupward from the split band. As is shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 1and 3, the handle yoke is approximately an inverted U-shape. The handleyoke 26 serves to protect the valves and fittings 28 which extend fromthe upper end of the cylinder 12. The handle yoke 26 also serves asmeans to graps the device in order to facilitate manipulating of thecylinder. At the lower ends of the yoke 26 near the point of attachmentto the split band 14 there are formed channels 28, 30 integrally withthe yoke 26. The channels 28, 30 have a horizontal portion extendingradially outward from the cylindrical tank and an outer vertical portionbent upwards. One of the channels, 30 contains a hole 32 in thehorizontal portion. Generally, the cylindrical tanks require a hose forconnection to the valves. The hose is frequently lost or easilymisplaced. With the embodiment of the cap in accordance with thisinvention, the hose can be wound around the cylindrical member withinthe channels 28 and 30. Similarly, when the cylindrical tank containscompressed gas used in connection with welding, a torch must be providedand the torch itself can similarly be misplaced and lost. The hole 32 inchannel 30, is used to insert the torch 36 therein shown in phantom inFIG. 2.

In operating the protective cap in accordance with this invention thecap is placed over the top portion of the cylindrical tank where thevalves and fittings are located. The yoke is placed over the valves andfittings and the split band lowered onto the cylindrical body. The clampbolt is tightened and the split band in fixed around the cylindricalbody to secureably remain in place thereon. The hose 34 can then bewound within the channel and the torch 36 then be inserted in thechannel hole.

When cylindrical tanks of the type described are used on constructionsites for example, it is a frequent occurrance that when the workmen arenot immediately available to guard and protect the tanks they are easilyremoved and stolen. As shown in FIG. 3, an additional hole can be placedwithin the tab 16 such that a chain and lock 38 can be insertedtherethrough and the chain then passed to a retaining wall or post.While the chain is shown passing through only one of the tabs 16, it isunderstood that the chain could pass through both the tabs 16 and 18 andtightened therebetween to prevent the removal of the cap from thecylinder once the cap has been tightened thereon.

In addition to the channels 28 and 30 which are an integral part of thehandle yoke 26, additional channels 40 can be connected to the splitband to provide additional support for the hose 34 placed around thecylinder.

In moving and transporting the cylinders by means of trucks or othervehicles the creates problem is that the cylinders tend to fall and mayeither break the valves and fittings associated with the cylinder orcause the compressed gas and liquid to leak out. Also, when thecylinders must be maintained for a period of time in an unprotected areathey are subject to being removed by theives. Referring, therefore, toFIGS. 4 through 6 there is shown another embodiment of the inventionproviding additional protection and securing means for the cylinder bymeans of the cap of the present invention. As is shown, one of thechannels 42 extending from the cap has a longer horizontal portion whichtherefore extends radially outward more then the other channels.Furthermore, at the outer end of the channel an upward 44 and lower 46tongue arrangement is provided abutting the horizontal portion of thechannel 42. The channel 42 can be either one of those formed as anintegral part of the yoke handle 26 or it can be one of the additionalchannels attached to the split band 14. A retaining member showngenerally as 48 comprises an L-shaped member 50 and two spacer members52, 54 connected on one leg of the L-shaped member 50. The spacermembers 52, 54 are separated from each other providing groove 56therebetween. Holes 58 are provided which pass through both the L-shapedmember 50 and the spacers 52, 54. The retaining member 48 is secureablymounted onto a retaining wall 60., such as a truck or a fastening post,by means of bolts 62 passing through the holes 58. When mounted on theretaining wall 60 the groove 56 serves as the groove a passageway forthe lower part of the tongue 46 inserted therein. The upper tongue 44will then rest flat against the retaining wall 60 and provide supportagainst bending. The horizontal portion of the channel 42 will rest uponthe top leg of the L-shaped retaining member 50. Two holes 62, 64 arealigned through the horizontal portion of the channel number 42 and thetop leg of the L-shaped retaining member 48. One of these holes can beused for passing therethrough a pin or a nut and bolt combination forholding the cap to the retaining member. A lock can be placed throughthe other hole to permenently retain in secured relationship the cap,holding the cylinder, onto the retaining wall 60.

Referring now to FIG. 7 there is shown the embodiment of the cap havingthe retaining means described in FIGS. 4 through 6. Asis seen, the capis secured onto the cylinder and then fastened to the retaining wall bymeans of the channel 42 having its tongue inserted within the groove ofthe retaining member 48 and a lock 66 passed through one of the holesaligned between the channel and the retaining member.

In order to insure that the tank cannot be removed by sliding it outfrom under the cap, or when transporting the tank in a truck that thetank should not slide out from under the cap, an additional holder 68 isprovided. As is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 the holder comprises a split band70 constructed to approximately encircle the cylinder and having itsadjacent ends outwardly extending and mounted onto holding means 72connected to the wall 60. The holding means 72 can be a simple clampingarrangement or can be a tongue and groove arrangement as describedwith-regard to the cap.

Although the valves and fittings are usually vertically arranged withrespect to the cylinder, sometimes the valves are offset and are notcoaxial with the cylinder. In such situations it is possible to form theyoke handle with a shape approximating the offset arrangement of thevalves and fittings. Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 there is shown anembodiment of the cap wherein like parts are numbered as in previousfigures. As is seen, the yoke handle 74, although it extends from thesplit band 14 is shaped in an offset arrangement permitting theprotective enclosure of the valves and fittings 76. It is understood,that the particular shape of the yoke handle is not restricted to shapesshown in the drawings but can be of any shape to fit over and protectthe valves and fittings.

The cap of this invention has been described as being formed of twomembers, namely the split band and the yoke handle. These two portionscan be rigidly joined by rivoting or welding at the extremeties of theyoke handle to the split band. However, the two pieces could be formedwith aligned holes to pemiit bolting of the two members together. Inthis way the two portions can be carried and transported separatelythereby providing relatively flat members and eliminating the spacerequired for the protruding yoke when the two portions are combined. Thetwo flat members can be assembled at the job site by means of boltingthem together and then the assembled cap can be attached to the cylinderfor use.

As is shown in FIG. 10, the end 20 of one of the tabs 18 is bent inwardtowards the other tab 16. In this manner the inwardly bent portion 20serves as a protective stop to the clamping action thereby preventingexcessive clamping of the split band and avoiding the possi bility ofbreaking the cylindrical walls by too much pressure.

There has been disclosed heretofore the best embodiments of theinvention presently contemplated. However, it is to be understood thatvarious changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by letters Patent is:

1. A protective cap for a portable cylindrical tank which tank has oneend accommodating a valve assembly, the cap comprising a split bandadapted to encircle the cylinder and having its ends forming outwardlyprotruding tabs, clamping means contacting said tabs to draw themtogether for clamping the split band onto the cylinder, handle yokemeans attachable to said split band and extending upwardly therefrom topass over the valve assembly when said split band is clamped onto thecylinder, and at least two U-shaped channels each extending radiallyoutward from said split band and circumfcrentially spaced from eachother around therein, said hole being aligned when said tongue is withinsaid groove.

2. A protective cap as in claim Ti wherein said retaining meanscomprises an 'L-shaped member and two spacer members, said spacermembers secureably connected to one leg of said L-shaped member inaligned relationship therewith and spaced apart from each other therebyforming said groove portion therebe-

1. A protective cap for a portable cylindrical tank which tank has oneend accommodating a valve assembly, the cap comprising a split bandadapted to encircle the cylinder and having its ends forming outwardlyprotruding tabs, clamping means contacting said tabs to draw themtogether for clamping the split band onto the cylinder, handle yokemeans attachable to said split band and extending upwardly therefrom topass over the valve assembly when said split band is clamped onto thecylinder, and at least two Ushaped channels each extending radiallyoutward from said split band and circumferentially spaced from eachother around said split band, and wherein one of said U-shaped channelsfurther comprises a vertical tongue extending downward at the outer endthereof and said cap means further comprises retaining means including agroove portion, said tongue designed to fit within said groove portion,and wherein both said retaining means and said channel having saidtongue each having a hole therein, said hole being aligned when saidtongue is within said groove.
 2. A protective cap as in claim 1 whereinsaid retaining means comprises an L-shaped member and two spacermembers, said spacer members secureably connected to one leg of saidL-shaped member in aligned relationship therewith and spaced apart fromeach other thereby forming said groove portion therebetween.